


Admiration

by Typo66



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Creepy!Rumlow, Gen, OMC - Freeform, Other, post winter soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-30
Updated: 2014-12-01
Packaged: 2018-02-27 13:08:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2694182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Typo66/pseuds/Typo66
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Looking at the way Rumlow said, yeah Steve Rogers just jumped out of a fucking plane with no parachute, in the trailer, I got the feeling that Rumlow was sort of a Captain America fanboy. In a more understated way than Coulson. After watching the film, I still think he's still a bit of a fanboy.</p><p>This is what I imagined going on in Rumlow's head between the movies Capt America 2 and 3. Because he'll come back, we all know it. Also, it's from the perspective of a random Hydra grunt, ya know one of those guys just standing around as guards to rooms and stuff, just so that Steve can come and knock them out with a single punch before running off on his merry way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh and I have to say, I really don't know how the serum works in cannon. But I heard a bunch of 'peak of human condition' stuff, so I'm going with that one here.
> 
> Uhm also no offence to any burn victims, this is evil hydra grunt pov, and the creepiness is more the state of mind then the looks I think.
> 
> Btw, look at this ! :   
> http://static.tumblr.com/457ec231eb6e09626f04b18edac8189e/gkapls8/s6Bn9f3by/tumblr_static_941l5mlrnig4sg4k8o408gc8k.png  
> Cant give credit where its due for this, but i'd like to. It's amazing!

"He's coming."

Sullivan kept looking straight ahead. Hold posture. Do not show fear. He hated this post. He'd asked for it himself, to meet Brock Rumlow, to be able to say he'd worked with the man. He'd never realized how fucking terrifying it would be. 

"But.. it's impossible that SHIELD could have marked all locations, statistically a hundered percent is impossible-"

"Do you think that means anything to him?" Rumlow interrupted the doctor he was talking to. Sullivan tried not to listen. Do not show fear. Do not.

Rumlow went on in that unimaginably creepy voice, raspy now, deep and almost inhuman after having a whole building come burning down on him. And Rumlow had survived. That's what fascinated Sullivan about him. Voice of death or not. He was a leader Sullivan could follow.

"There's no such thing as SHIELD now. It's just Rogers, and Romanoff. You have no idea how resourceful either can be. He IS coming."

The doctor didn't answer and Sullivan regretted every decision he ever made. 

He was supposed to be the spec guard posted to Rumlow, while he recovered, in Hydra's effort to gather it's remaining officers. He'd imagined he'd stand guard, close to the man, watch him recover, and maybe pick up a few things. 

A few things, he had picked up. Rumlow had recovered in an almost superhuman rate. He was determined and driven. Despite having the tremendous pain of having almost all of his skin burnt off, he had started moving weeks earlier than the doctors estimates and he'd walked months earlier. The doctors were amazed at his pain tolerance. The man was also unbelivably motivated to get back to building muscle mass. He knew his body very well, even in its crippled state and he'd not shied away from pushing the same broken body to its limits, to get the best results, as soon as possible. It was simply inspiring to watch Rumlow get back on his feet, and heal, through sheer force of will.

Sullivan had also picked up that Rumlow was unmistakably insane.

"He'll be looking for Barnes. With all communications cut off, he'll assume Barnes is recovered by Hydra. And since Pierce is dead, Sitwell is dead and Stern is a drooling idiot, he'll come for me."

Sullivan couldn't help but glance to his side, to see Rumlow's face, then snapped his gaze back straight ahead once more. Rumlow was sitting on the bed, ramrod straight, and looking at his reflection on the dark observation window of the hospital room. The harsh neon lights only worked to make his scarred and burnt flesh look even more hideous.

The doctor stopped tapping on his computer for a moment, Sullivan could absolutely imagine how uncomfortable this conversation was making him. He felt the same.

"Mr Rumlow, this hospital is completely secure." The doctor eventually said in a tight voice. "We're deep underground, in the middle of no where, with an army between you and the impenetrable enterence. You are very important to the reconstruction of Hydra. Of course you will get the best security possible." Then he glanced at Sullivan, "You're even posted a guard here, inside the facility."

Sullivan didn't gulp, but it took effort. The doctors recounting only sounded like he was trying to convince himself that they were safe, rather than comfort the patient.

The said patient made a completely animal sound though, intermittent and low in his chest. It took a moment for Sullivan to realize that Rumlov was quietly laughing.

"You think I am scared doctor?"

The doctor didn't answer, but instead shuffled a few steps away from his patient, looking supremely uncomfotable.

"I know Steve Rogers. Personally. I know the way he thinks, the way he plans and acts. I've worked with him, fought with him."

There was a pause before Rumlow continued in that horrible voice, made even worse by the fact how calm and matter of fact Rumlow was.

"Do you know what the serum does doctor?"

Sullivan didn't dare move his head to look if the doctor was nodding or shaking his head, in any case Rumlov went on;

"It creates a body at the peak of perfect human condition."

Sullivan listened, all ears. He'd always wondered.

"It doesn't just give you perfect muscles, organs, skeletal structure... But also a perfect brain. It works on a cellular level, optimizing every little nuance in the body, until it creates the perfect balance and ratio."

Rumlow gave a wheezing cough. His abused lungs were not yet recovered enough for long winded speeches. Sullivan wasn't surprised when the man just sucked in a raspy breath and went on,

"In other words doctor, Steve Rogers is only human."

With a chill running down his spine Sullivan realized that Rumlow actually admired Rogers. Not only admired. Idolized.

That was why he'd been working so hard to get on his feet, that was why he pushed himself to the limit of human endurance, despite his extensive injuries. He believed the power and ability Rogers demonstrated was within his reach. If he worked hard enough.

And Sullivan himself was a witness to the determination Rumlow posessed, to reach any goal he put his mind to.

Didn't make the man any less insane for wanting to take on Captain America. Crippled and burned and in constant pain.

"I.. I'll bring back your test results in 12 hours." The docor said as he started packing up. Sullivan could almost feel the tension in him, the effort it took the doctor to not just run out of the room. Then the doctor squeezed past Sullivan and headed down the corridor. Sullivan envied him.

Hold posture, do not show fear.

Rumlow sat silent for a while. Sullivan supposed, still studying his own monsterous reflection.

Eventually, Rumlow spoke. 

"You'll die kid." he said and Sullivan was hard pressed to not just simply drop his rifle and get the fuck out of there.

Instead, making sure that his voice was steady, he answered with a short,

"Sir."

Rumlow looked up at him and Sullivan sweated. Then simply shaking his head, Rumlov laid back down on his bed and closed his eyes.

Sullivan had been in battle, he'd seen close combat, he'd been in missions that went south and fought at the front lines in several different sites. But this, was undoubtedly, the most unsettling, the most disturbing duty he'd ever been assigned.


	2. Chapter 2

First it was just the sounds of running boots outside, on the coridor. Men, completely silent, running purposefully towards the main hall. Sullivan turned to look out the glass doors. The teams were fully armed. 

Then there was a crackle and the PAS came online, 

"Attention all personell, there has been a security breach on Deck 9. All units report to the armory. I repeat. Security breach on Deck 9."

Sullivan's head whipped around to look at Rumlow. 

The other man lowered himself to the ground from where he had been working out on the barfix. With weights tied around his ankles. Shirtless and all that disfigured skin on display. He wasn't really sweating but Sullivan knew he should. Sullivan had been trying not to watch him work out for the past 3 hours. The stamina Rumlow displayed was borderline impossible.

"Security breack on Deck 9, all units report to the armory." The voice on the speaker repeated. The gym was in Deck 9.

Rumlow slowly bent down to untie the weights. Sullivan shifted nervously.

"Sir."

Rumlow didn't answer. They needed to move out. They needed to get to the armory, Sullivan needed to get Rumlow to command center. 

"Attention, security breach. Deck 9 is now compromised. All units report to the armory."

Compromised. Sullivan couldn't stand still, he broke position and walked out to the corridor. Another team ran past him, only making Sullivan more nervous. He stepped in side, running to where Rumlow was now calmly sitting on a bench, unravelling the bandages around his hands.

Gripping his rifle with both hands, Sullivan forced himself to keep pointing it at the floor. He came to a stop in front of Rumlow.

"Sir. We need to go."

Rumlow didn't look up. Simply breathed and said "Calm down soldier."

"Sir, this deck is compromised. We need to report to the command center."

"I heard it loud and clear kid."

Sullivan shifted on his feet. He couldn't just grab Rumlow and drag him. Not just because Rumlow was still his superior officer, but he was also pretty sure if he tried he'd be eating gym floor in about 2 seconds.

For a moment he was torn between trying to grab the other man or just leaving him here and getting the fuck out of Deck 9 himself. 

Before he could decide, they heard the sounds of rifles being fired distantly. There were screams, and then silence. 

"Sir!"

Sullivan didn't even see Rumlow move. He held his breath and looked down the length of the blade Rumlow was suddenly holding to his throat. 

Sullivan's round, surprised eyes travelled from the blade to Rumlows hideous face.

The other man raised the index finger of his other hand up to his mutilated lips, silently telling Sullivan not to make a sound. Sullivan hadn't even seen where the blade had come from. He pressed his lips together and nodded.

Rumlow took the blade away slowly, and in the next moment he was whirling around to throw the blade towards the gym doors.

The knife stuck to the wall with a thunk, about two inches left of the furious face of Steve Rogers.

"Shit!"

Sullivan tried to raise his rifle but it was too late, last thing he saw before he hit the ground was Rumlow ducking and the red-blue blur of Captain America's sheild coming right at him.


	3. Chapter 3

"Crossbones? What the fuck sort of ridiculous name is that anyway?"

Peters was leaning back on his chair, looking at the information scrolling on the screen while chewing on a piece of beef jerky.

"No idea. The guy gets shit done though." Anderson answered him. 

They watched the screen for a while, eventually Peters gave a low whistle. 

"Yeah, no kidding. 89% is an impossible rate." He took a bite of his jerky before adding, "Still think it's a stupid name. They say his skin is all burnt under that task force mask."

Sullivan shuddered. He liked this new post much better. Babysitting techs and survelliance teams was easy peasy. He knew what was under that mask thank you very much and still had nightmares about the raspy inhuman voice.

"You know," Anderson started, "I've heard he used to work with the uh.. that guy... the Winter Soldier?"

Peters shook his head with a chuckle, and tilted his chair dangerously, "Who comes up with these names?"

"Whatever, listen to this, apparently this guy, this Crossbones was like the Winter Soldiers sidekick yeah? So when Insight went down, before the Soldier disappeared he poured kerosene all over Crossbones and set him on fire himself, just to get rid of the last witness. That's why he wants to kill the Soldier so badly. Felt all betrayed ya know?"

"Huh. I heard when he worked undercover Rogers found him out and pushed him into an explosion."  
"No no no. He got the scars /after/ Insight."

"When was he undercover then? Makes no sense."

"Where did you even hear he was undercover? That's dumb. He was supposed to be the next asset after Soldier. The back up plan."

"You think they gave him the serum?"

"For sure dude. That guy is definitely not human."

Peters kept chewing on jerky as he spoke around it. 

"And maybe those biomechanic arms too. No way he can move like that otherwise."

Anders nodded sagely.

"They experimented on him. Soldier oh point two."

Sullivan couldn't keep his mouth shut at this point.

"No they didn't." he said. And the techs turned toward him.

"What's that bro?"

Sullivan looked away from the screen.

"They didn't experiment on him. They didn't give him the serum. He doesn't have biomechanic parts.. You're both wrong."

Peters nudged Anderson and Anderson laughed.

"That's insane dude. There's no way he's all human."

Sullivan gave him a sharp look and Anderson shut his mouth.

"Yeah it's insane. I didn't say he was sane. That," Sullivan pointed to the screen where Crossbones desimated the field, weilding his guns with a grace impossible for a man his size, all bulging muscles and efficiency, "is conviction." he said. "The only thing that can make us win."

Peters gulped loudly, swallowing the last piece of his jerky and Anderson blinked.

"Whatever." he said finally and swivelled around on his chair to face the screen.

Sullivan walked out of the room to do his rounds. It didn't matter the techs didn't understand what he was talking about. They'd never have the determination or the will power. They didn't matter. Sullivan knew he himself didn't matter either. It was a war between powers that he knew he didn't possess. He'd just do his rounds and survive. 

He just knew that some people, some people could do more than that.


End file.
